


Judy's Wilde Game

by PseudoFox



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Comedy, Cyberpunk, Drama, Furry, Gaming, Gen, Video & Computer Games
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-10 12:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7844962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PseudoFox/pseuds/PseudoFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Zootopia, as the saying goes, anyone can be anything. In this particular alternate Zootopia, one influenced by 70s and 80s cyberpunk where the fights were cheesy and the special effects were cheesier, poor Officer Nick Wilde is stuck in a tough situation. His partner, girlfriend, and fellow gamer Officer Judy Hopps plans to jack in to rescue him from the online competition that's captured the fox's mind. Yet an interesting struggle awaits the rabbit...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**[Chapter One]**

**Somewhere in downtown Zootopia...**

"Unfortunately, the perpetrator has managed to hack in Officer Wilde's account so perfectly that we can't trace anything back to the source," the tall, angry sheep remarked, leaning up against the array of electronics across the wall, "and we're pretty stuck." He glanced back at his fellow officers in the Zootopia Police Department. Their eyes all focused on the large images holographically projected up into the air above them, seeing the real Officer Wilde passed out in the middle of a massive black chair. Everyone's face showed as clear as crystal their grim, frustrated feelings.

All manner of wires stuck out of the helmet-like device enclosed around Nick Wilde's head. Saliva dripped out of his mouth while the massive air vents around the room blew at his fur. Judy noticed for the first time how Nick's paws laid down upon a box crammed with various gears, pulleys, and other metallic odds-n-ends.

"Officer Baach," Judy Hopps said, tapping the tip of her eyeglasses to focus on a specific batch of text, "is there really no way to get a lock on the faker's signal?" She flashed back to how she hadn't even enjoyed seeing the 'Internal Affairs' member come onto the team in the first place, even teasing him about the family connection to the famous composer. Yet the sheep's quick action, only walking into the police station room to grab another coffee, may have saved her boyfriend from having his mind completely taken over. _Thank goodness!_

"I'm afraid that we're stuck in a helpless chase from location to location, with various nodes popping up and then disappearing," Baach replied, concentrating on the glowing map as he waved an arm above. He let out an angry sigh. "I hate to say this, but it's the truth. If we got a _lock_ on the signals, then I could just spike the perpetrator back."

Judy sighed as well. "It's probably just some nasty little kid with a helium voice and pizza face acne, right? Getting his jollies trolling a cop in whatever game Wilde jacked in to play, damn it?" _I'm not quite able to reach through the internet and strangle this troll yet, but he's going to get, at least, the migraine of his life!_

"You know what the solution probably is?" Seth Stoutwell suddenly piped up as he walked behind Judy.

"I could do more if I had a bit more time," Baach murmured, stretching his gloves for a moment and rubbing the various sensors covering them.

"I think we have to hurry," Seth remarked, leaning over and flicking a set of switches on the wall besides him. The raccoon clicked on a gadget on the side of his hat; a glowing green monocle slide over his right eye. " _And..._ yep, we have little choice."

"Honestly, I already know what the solution you're going to offer is, Seth," Judy said. She reached up with her paws and clutched both of her ears. "I also know that I don't like it." _Yet that doesn't matter._

Reaching up for yet another mental interface device, Seth lingered with a paw over the helmet-like electronics on the shelf. He sucked in a deep breath before he began, "You don't have to do anything yourself. Anyone can... _I_ can..."

"No!" Judy suddenly flipped her body over and tapped a footpaw against the cold, hard floor. " _I'm_ the one jacking into the game after him!" Officers Fangmeyer, Clawhauser, and others blankly stared at her, none of them feeling sure how to respond. "It's not just that it's him, come on, I'm also the best gamer in this whole station."

"If you defeat the troll in this level, or even manage to stall him for a while, I'm _positive_ that I can bounce both of you out of the system without much trouble," Baach interjected, twisting his head as he looked through various holographic materials, "but... well..."

"But what?" Judy asked.

"Do you even know what game Officer Wilde was playing before he got hacked?"

"No," the rabbit murmured, bracing herself.

"Judy!" Seth let out, coming up to his colleague and putting a paw on her shoulder. The rabbit looked up at his concerned expression. "I _know_ you're the best of the best. You've surfed more lava plumes, leveled more zombies, raced more roadsters, and more than all of us combined." He stopped for a moment. When she tried not to blush, the raccoon went on. "That doesn't change the fact that the troll took Nick's game to the _negatron-zone_."

A chorus of shocked noises went off among the various mammals watching the scene. ZPD officer after ZPD officer had their mouths open. Judy, for her part, tried to steel herself and show no worry. _I have to be strong. For Nick... I must._

"Crossing into the negatron-zone means, as I think you already all know," Officer Baach chimed in, "if you lose in the game, you _lose for real_."

"Indeed," Seth said. He sucked in a very deep breath. "It also means, damn it, that even as we watch you and try to help, all communications will get blocked. Not hearing a word from us as you're playing, Judy, it's too risky."

"I'm ready," Judy declared, reaching up with a paw to side Seth's off of her shoulder. _I can handle anything this little punk throws at me. I'm sure._ "Jack me in. Now."

**A few minutes later...**

Judy first felt her paws rubbing up against something indistinct. It seemed so soft yet so bulky. She nudged herself down, taking in a deep breath. Caught in an awkward position, she scampered against everything in front of her. _Am I literally trapped in a closet?_

"Where," she muttered, standing up straight. "Where am I?" She looked down and saw herself standing atop a set of burlap bags with dozens of heavy, curvy things inside them. _Those look like power cables... weird!_ "I'm in the game, right, but why am I still dressed in my cop outfit? Why aren't I at some kind of starting platform?"

Her heart raced at a sudden noise, hopping over to the side. She blinked again and again, still barely seeing a thing. She leaned up against a wall, feeling as fuzzy and soft as touching a winter coat, and slipped against a set of tubes. Quite frustrated, she then smashed her paws against the other wall.

Judy abruptly found herself falling face down upon a long grey floor. She picked herself back upwards, shaking her head. Glancing around, the rabbit noticed that four walls once around her collapsed onto the floor. _Well that was... odd... was that some kind of pre-fab closet or something?_ She guessed that made sense. After all, with the troll's weird activities, she had to get placed into the system using a kind of 'backdoor entrance'. _Still, where's the main level? Where's Nick? Where's anything?_

She took in her surroundings for a while. Nothingness appeared to stretch out all around. She stepped backwards and walked up a grey, featureless wall, flipping in the air dramatically. _Simulated gravity got turned down... I guess._ She ran her paw alongside the edges of the wall, and beneath what seemed like grey paint thick globs of glitter stuck to her fur.

"The hell?" She stared straight upwards, frowning. _I guess it's better to pop into this rather than in the middle of some level surrounded by gigantic robots, or drooling demons, or whatever else._ "Nick! Hello?" She raised her voice even more. "Nick! I'm here for you!"

Suddenly, huge sets of blue fireworks went off overhead. Thick trails of sparks followed. She walked over away from the wall, eyes drinking in the scene.

"Alright, whatever's in store for me, I'm ready!" She made a fighting pose. As a torrent of loud beeps shot out, the entire floor shone brightly. She remained focused even as she took in the sharp black and green lights erupting from beneath her. "It's game time, right? _Bring it!_ "

Loud, electronic noises came out from what seemed like everywhere. She shifted around in place, shivering at a sudden gust of chilling wind, and looked about in all directions. _Someone's here? Where, though?_

"What's this?" Judy tapped a footpaw angrily. "Nick? Nick, are you around?

Lights across started to flash in a repetitive fashion, clearing showing a stage coming into being. That all meant nothing, however, the moment that Judy felt a familiar paw on her back. She froze still as as statue, hardly able to breathe. _Oh, thank goodness!_

She flipped around and faced a fox standing under a large spotlight. Her gaze ran up from his slender fuzzy body to his slick, cream-colored suit and black necktie. His smooth, handsome face appeared as nice as ever. He looked right at her, and he winked. 

"Oh, Nick, I was so worried!" Judy called out. "I got so afraid that something really bad had happened!" She began to rush over to him. "It's really you?"

" _Not quite_ ," he remarked, making a suddenly devious expression. Judy halted, body poised midair with paws out, and she glared at the weirdly thick black eyebrows that she just noticed on the fox's face. The predator's cheeked weirdly curled upward. His eyes suddenly lit with ugly green goop dripping off of the sides of his eyelids.

"The hell is this," Judy murmured, frowning. From cheek to cheek, the predator had made himself look simply grotesque. The disgusting fluid continued to ooze out of the fox's eyes. "Seriously, tell me what's going on, you idiot!"

"Call me _PseudoNick_ ," the fox said, holding up his paws over his face and wiggling them about. She glared at him as he knelt down and breathed on her. A matching green mist shot into the air from his mouth. "I could help you free the real thing and all, you little cutie." He leaned down with his body perched over hers.

Judy scrunched her face. _Is this troll kidding me? Does he get what he's saying?_ "Be serious! You want a challenge, then you got it!"

PseudoNick's voice transformed into something more soft, sounding almost androgynous. "I'll help you if you help me first. It may be 'just a game', but this feels real enough, doesn't it?" He reached out with a paw along the tips of her ears, nudging them a few inches down. "Want to see the other ways that this can feel real?" He modulated his voice to mimic the real Nick's completely as his face returned to normal.

Judy shook with rage. She glared as PseudoNick licked his lips, and her face went red. She'd more than had enough.

"You so much as think about touching me again, and I'm kicking you into the next world, buster!" Judy threw herself down, legs poised right under PseudoNick's chest.

"Speaking of 'next world', it's time to start the game!"

" _Alright!_ " Confidence dripped off of Judy's body as she held her paws up in front of her and raised her head up. "Give me my army, give me my battle gear, show me my car, or whatever else! Let's get _dangerous_!"

Instead of some kind of powerful tune beginning to play and lights going on around her, Judy heard smooth, soft electronic music starting. The edges of the stage lit up as well, instead, and large, bright bubbles floated into the air every inch around her. _This is... interesting._

"Everybody's having a good night, tonight?" the fox suddenly asked, jumping onto another part of the stage away from the bunny. Cheers erupted around them. As PseudoNick leaned back, taking in the sea of noise, Judy sped over to the tip of the platform.

"What the hell kind of wacky game is this?" Judy called out. More fireworks went off far above as a bunch of thickly-proportioned antelope dancers, dressed as if rainbows vomited all over their bodies, appeared behind her.

" _SingStar 3000_ ," the fox declared. He narrowed his eyes as he giggled. "You say: 'Let's get dangerous'? I say: 'Let's get _fabulous_ '!"

"Are you kidding me!" Judy screamed. After the fox rapidly shook his head 'no', the rabbit rubbed her paws against her cheeks as she closed her eyes. "Are you seriously... you really... you dragged _me_ , the number one gamer in all of the police... to a stupid..." She opened her eyes again and awkwardly coughed. " _Singing contest_?"

"Exactly, you cutie," the fox replied.

"Heaven help me," Judy whispered. She took a moment to stare out at the massive crowds around what she realized was her performance stage. The bunny saw hundreds upon hundreds of mammals of all shapes, sizes, and colors beneath them, all gazing at the platform as they bounced up and down.

Her eyes grew wider as she noticed even more strange creatures, big and small, from jumbles of spheres haphazardly stuck together to antelope-sized water balloons to what seemed like walking, talking trees. She started to pant, feeling totally confused. _They're cheering for what? What the hell is going on? I guess we're about to start._

Beneath their platform, a band slowly built up the chill background music. PseudoNick wiggled from side to side, humming happily. Judy stepped backwards and watched as some kind of tall, thin plastic screen lifted up, out of nowhere. It hovered in the air above them, and the screen flashed a green and black checkered background.

"Hey, whoever you are," Judy mumbled, "I deserve answers." The fox seemed totally overcome by the crowd's cheers. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, blushing all the while. "I'm not really interested in wasting my time with a damn _singing competition_."

"So... much... love..." PseudoNick moaned, shivering a bit at the bottom of his legs.

"Enough!" Judy hopped over and stood right in front of PseudoNick, poising herself between him and the crowd. "Screw your stupid game! Tell me where the hell is the real Nick!"

"Up, and to the right!" PseudoNick gleefully replied, pointing a paw into the massive audience. He smiled, looking less devious and more drunk on the loving sensations.

Judy rushed over to the edge of the platform, trying her best not to fall off as she leaned over. Her eyes scanned the distance of the crowd. "Where— what are you—"

"Next to the pile of stallions on the upper right side, compared to us. Doesn't he look happy?"

The bunny's heart just about skipped a beat as she spied the real Nick sitting atop a tall bison's shoulders. A nearby stallion's hooves tapped against the paws of her dazed boyfriend, the horse doing an impromptu kind of drum solo almost. Gigantic smiles dripped across the faces of all three mammals. _Flat, brainwashed expressions? Damn it!_

"I'm coming! I've already got the rest of the ZPD helping me outside of the game! Don't worry!" Judy shouted over. She could barely hear herself, though, from the noise of the crowd.

"Here, this will help!"

Judy blinked. She saw a short, stubby microphone hovering in the air in front of her. She thought about having it right up against her mouth, and it immediately swung over. She coughed, and it wiggled from side to side. _Wait... how am I..._

"It's SingStar, you adorable little thing," PseudoNick murmured, standing over the rabbit yet again, "the microphones are thought controlled." Before she could respond, the fox moved over to a gigantic white circle in about the middle of the platform right besides the audience. It lit up with some kind of green energy, and he lifted himself up a few feet.

"Nick! Try to listen through the mind-manipulation! This is Judy, and I'm here to help!" She turned from facing the audience over to PsuedoNick."What's going on? Level with me, you idiot!" Judy braced the microphone in the air, ready to smack it upon the fox's head.

"What the hell does it look like?" PseudoNick laughed, and Judy found herself hovered upwards as well. She saw her microphone and the screen flutter over directly in front of her. "We're facing off! We're playing the game!"

"Facing off, right." She repeated. She angrily slapped her paws against her sides. _It could have been anything else. A racing competition? Fighting? Puzzles? No, this damn loser wants us to belt out a few boring tunes! Oh, come on!_

"It's simple!" PseudoNick pointed over at the screen. Judy blinked once more, staring, and text started to crawl from the bottom upwards.

{Welcome to Karaoke Central! Population: You!}

{You have to complete two songs. Try your hardest, and remember that the crowd is here for a show. They want to have fun, and they really are on your side. Don't let them down!}

{Upon the completion of the first song, you'll have the opportunity to welcome one lucky audience member to the stage for the 'Encore'. Pull out all the stops, and you'll get a nice surprise. Complete the 'Encore' correctly, and you'll have the opportunity to send a player back home. Should you fail, Player One has requested your presence in his backstage dressing room with the rose petals placed along your legs.}

"Not likely!" Judy shouted. She threw her head back over at PseudoNick, who made a melodramatically pained face.

{You don't have much time. The crowd looks pretty restless.}

{Please select your song menu:}

==] Best of Arena Rock [==

==] Best of Power Pop [==

==] Best of Synth Pop [==

"Uhhhhh..." Judy muttered, feeling herself start to shiver from her footpaws to her ears. _No! Don't panic! I have to be strong! I have to get Nick!_ "Officers of the ZPD don't give up." She smiled, putting on a determined expression. "We never give up."

"I think you have less than a minute before we start," the fox commented, rubbing a paw against his suit. He put on a seductive face, kissing the air.

"I pick— uh— 'Best of Synth Pop'!" The screen flickered, and a group of songs popped up.

“Oh, hold on a moment!” PseudoNick called out. “Forget about the full twenty-five song listing!” He walked over a bit closer to the rabbit. She flipped around, poised to smack the fox right in the chest. He held out his paws in front of his hips, making a bemused face. “I’m making a very strong recommendation. Just that. Nothing more.”

“Recommendation,” she repeated. She felt determination pooling up inside of her, ready to fight the insipid troll if she had to.

“How about the one from those sexy, charming Duran Duran boys?” he asked.

“I’ll—” She paused, suddenly feeling confused. _Is this a trick? Or is it something else? After all, it’s just like any other song, is it?_ She glared at him, and he simply made a smug, almost seductive grin back. “I suppose I might go for it. Is it a catchy song? Is it not too complicated, not with too much of a vocal range?”

"I promise you two things,” PseudoNick said through his pointy, suddenly monstrous teeth. “First, it’s a simple song that’s not really that different than the current top 40. Second, it’s as catchy as a nursery rhyme and it swings like a gate.”

 _Would it make a difference if I picked a different tune?_ Judy took a deep breath. _It might make him mad, but it probably wouldn't accomplish much. I should stop jerking around and just get started with the actual gameplay right now._

“Clock is ticking,” PseudoNick commented. “The crowd is getting restless.”

As if on cue, Judy heard, “We want the show! We want the show! The show!” Hooves, paws, claws, and other things clapped in anticipation.

“I pick,” she said, and she sighed, “Hungry Like the Wolf!”

A bright flash seemed to cover everything. Judy wiggled in place, feeling tingles popping up all over her body. When she came too, she looked around with her mouth wide open. She was in one of those suggestive waitress outfits— the ones that she had seen trashy mammals wearing while patrolling the red-light district.

"Both cliche _and_ misogynistic," Judy said, stepping over to the middle of the stage as she slid her paws upon her frilly skirt, "I wonder if you—" She reached up and touched her chest. "Yep, this get-up has the little ruby hearts on the nipples too." _I should have known._

{SONG SELECTED!}

{Title: Hungry Like The Wolf}

{Group: Duran Duran}

{Album: Rio}

{Original Singer(s): Simon Le Bun}

{*Please note the color transitions*}

She shivered as she saw the stage begin to transform: Images of sandy beaches, ripping ocean currents with sparkly blue water, tall white huts, long, fluffy beach towels, and other things that she'd see in a fashion magazine or travel catalog popped up all around her. _Should I feel better that a rabbit originally sang this? Ugh, it's probably as slick as oil and as slutty as the cover of a teen magazine!_

Judy appeared to stand inside of a massive dome, noticing a picturesque sky filled with puffy clouds. She sighed while hearing girly giggling and clicks like that of a hundred fashion photographers going off high above her. “I have a very, very bad feeling about this,” she moaned, tugging against her ears.

Judy heard a deep, long growl behind her. She hardly wanted to move, even as a bouncy, peppy synthesizer beat got started from the band's part of the stage. She heard panting noises behind her as the beat got louder and even poppier.

"Wolfie's ready for his duet," growled a deep voice, "and he's plenty hungry, too." She heard an awful chuckling. _Oh, Nick, what did we get ourselves into?_


	2. Chapter 2

**[Chapter Two]**

"I can do this," Judy murmured, clenching her paws together as she took a few steps forward.

"Better get to the starting area, cutie," remarked the gruff voice from right behind her.

"Don't," she began, slowly and dramatically turning around with a fist in the air, "call me—"

Yet the mammal had vanished. A cloud of white mist shot out from somewhere all around. Judy bounced out into it, feeling quite pissed off, and landed atop a shiny white pier. She looked over to the sides as she stepped down the wooden length. A fancy yacht appeared seemingly out of nowhere. A gaggle of wolves, foxes, and other predators in flashy pink, blue, and white suits wiggled around the top deck. They posed with their sharp-looking sunglasses as long, flowing flags blew in the ocean-side breeze.

Two circles of green and red light swung in the air around the boat. "Yes, getting started," Judy remarked. She walked over to a short wooden gateway, leading into the yacht, at the end of the pier.

A smug sheep looking oddly like Bellwether stood beside a pair of velvet ropes. Drool dripped out of her mouth as a green aura covered her face. The sheep remained still as a statue, although breathing; she clutched a clear plastic ruler against her chest. _Damn, that's some weird green fluid dripping from underneath her shades, right? Looks like I could punch her right in the belly without her feeling a thing, this girl being totally brainwashed?_ Instead, though, the rabbit grabbed the velvet ropes herself.

A loud whacking sound brought Judy to a halt. "Oh, ma'am," the sheep murmured in a flat monotone, "I must inform you of this." She lifted the ruler up from the ropes and then over to a tall table with an arrow sign on it.

"You must be this high to enter," Judy read off. The arrow pointed at least six inches above her head. Her eyes half-open, contempt dripped off of the bunny's face. "Are you fu—"

"Enjoy," the sheep said, moving the ruler downward. Judy's eyes grew wide as she noticed the rest of the table— line after line of cocaine stretched across.

"Oh, _that high_ , right." The rabbit started to lean down, popping a leg upwards. Her face hit the edge of the table. Yet Judy spun around, shooting out her footpaws to the side, and kicked the whole set-up over into the water. "Sorry, I'm not in the mood for this crap."

As the sheep splashed around, arms gripping around the sign, Judy heard a sudden cranking noise. The gangplank hiked up into the air. She jumped forward and swung her body over onto the side of the yacht. Her body ambled onto the deck— sides shivering as she tried to force her emotions under control. _Now, here on this stupid thing do I go to start the level?_

Judy watched as fashion models danced around the deck. All of them totally ignored her. "Hello? Earth to fashionistas?"

A tall, skinny wolf leaned up against a flag-pole. He grinned from cheek to cheek as he held out a paw and pulled down his sunglasses. Judy cringed; she witnessed something like orbs of green static instead of eyes.

"I get it, alright? Body-surfing from NPC to NPC or whatever doesn't impress me, you trolling douche," she murmured. The wolf flipped around, not saying a word back, and suddenly stepped into the cabin. Judy spotted a large red and green striped area above her. She hopped right onto it, noticing the yacht's reflection wiggling in the sparkling blue water.

"Well, sweet thing, what about into a boss?" rang out some weird, disembodied voice.

"A _boss_ , what the hell?" Judy stepped about in a circle trying to stop something amiss. Instead, the partying scene just kept on going. "I'm not racing, running, fighting, or anything of the sort! This is just a stupid singing competition, isn't it?"

"Who said that it was _only_ singing? What about _performing_?" continued the same peculiar voice.

"I'm going through the whole," Judy began, not even finishing the thought. She tried to think back to the musical groups that her boyfriend loved the most, and the realization hit her like being smacked in the face by a prize boxer. "Is this my worst nightmare come to life? Playing through the damn thing like a brainless film character? Trapped in a _new wave music video_?" 

Braced for another taunt back, she heard a set of loud beeping sounds instead. Judy flung her head upwards. A massive set of numbers appeared in the sky like a ghostly timer. The particular electronic screen that she'd seen a moment ago flashed back into existence, lowering down into the air right in front of her.

{Player One, the competition is about to start!}

{Your objective is to make it the stage on your band-mate's boat!}

{You've only got so much time, though, and various obstacles and mammals alike will get in the way as you dash!}

Judy pulled out her microphone. _Thank goodness, it didn't fall out of my pocket. It's basically thought controlled, though? It wouldn't make a difference then._ She motioned with her paws from side to side. It lit up with a red aura, looking just the same color as the screen's text, as it obeyed her command. _Player one's things are sickly green. My motif as player two is bright red. That's lame._

{Player Two sings along with you while making the same journey!}

{But watch out! Physical contact with Player Two slows you down! It's as much a chase as a song! So, perform your heart out or see Player Two manage to get to the boat first and maybe set sail without you!}

"Enough with the damn explanation points!" Judy called out. She watched as a loading bar above the timer in the sky reached its end, and she braced herself. _And what kind of a weak pseudo-plot is this? If the place I'm heading to is full of 'my band-mates', then they wouldn't set sail without me at all, and... aw, screw it! I shouldn't expect it to make sense!_

{Get set!}

{Ready!}

{Go!}

The noise of a sudden explosion rang out. Judy tumbled down to the back of the boat, almost falling overboard. As she clung to the back railing, she saw a seductive, curvy antelope riding atop a long, black cannon on the front of the ship. The Gazelle-looking wannabe screamed out a passionate, feminine whine as she ground her thighs against the cannon. Smoke poured off of the long, hard tip.

"Go, damn it, _where?_ " Judy spat out. She tapped a footpaw in frustration while various mammals moved around the bunny. Finding herself want to just dance to the bouncy synthesizer beat only made Judy angrier. "Where's my map? Where's—"

The floating screen in front of her erupted in sparkles. Judy jumped back, seeing an immense arrow appearing in the middle of it. She reached out to touch it only for the device to swing out— going off into the air away from her.

"I'll!" Judy leaped over behind the screen. "take that, then!" Doing her best to ignore the party all around, Judy hopped along the deck over to a sudden ladder. She wiggled the microphone around in her paws as she eyed another long white pier on the other side of the boat. It lead off into a set of beach-side shacks.

_I'm, sweet goodness, barely ready for this, am I?_ She chased the screen in over to the far edge of the boat only to swing to the side. _I shouldn't just pick whatever music track that the troll wants me to pick, right? I need to think strategically after I win this one!_

"It's all about the thrill of the hunt, after all," sounded off a guttural, nasty voice. Judy spun around. From behind a massive door, ugly clumps of fur and teeth pressed against its little window. Green orbs flashed from beneath the fur as the monstrous figure rubbed its tongue upon the glass. "And the longer the chase, the sweeter it feels when I get my paws on you!"

_"Shut up!"_ Judy hopped away and turned her head. yet she froze as the screen did a loop-de-loop in the air directly above her. She grit her teeth. The timer way up in the sky appeared scrambled as well.

"I'm going to stop screwing around so we can finally play through the _whole_ level," the voice went on. Judy looked down at the water— eyes narrowing as anger surged through all her senses. "Go ahead, have a real head-start! Scamper on, you little bunny you!"

"You," Judy stammered, "you nasty piece of—" 

"Go, _run!_ "

The screen flung itself out in front of her and headed up to the front of the boat. Judy leaped after it. She ducked underneath a set of tables and popped up in the middle of the partying models. The screen appeared in front of her, arrow still pointing right forwards. Judy took a deep breath.

She slid between the fashionistas' legs, her ears knocking down glasses out of their paws. She kicked against the wall and stood atop a huge set of boxes, each of them crammed full of wine bottles. The screen led her right off of the boat. The rabbit spotted a big suitcase right at the tip of the next pier.

She jumped, her tail wiggling in the air. She landed softly atop the suitcase and rolled over, panting. "Fine, screw the boats! I'm all for heading for the middle of the jungle!" She had a hard time staying determined, yet the vocals hadn't even started yet. Running on a gravel path, Judy stared at the screen wiggling up right atop her head. "Any other details— _please_ — other than just a damn single arrow— _here we go_!"

{Instrumental Incipient Finishing}

{Lyrical Section Beginning}

Judy sped away from the pier as fast as she could go. The awful racket of something like a giant monster splashing in the water, coming around far behind her, meant that she didn't even want to look back. _Poor Nick is now completely hidden from me along with the rest of the crowd— has to be something to do with the songs! Last time I just up and accept what the troll recommends, damn it!_

{Partner: Darken the city / Night is a wire

You: Steam in the subway / Earth is afire}

"Here we go," Judy whispered. She reached the end of the gravel road, staring at a solid wall of fancy-looking white beach huts. Nobody was in sight. Yet another section of the nearby sea stretched out behind the various huts. 

{Temporary Pause}

"Okay," Judy murmured, gripping her paws against her chest, "what—"

A thunderous noise sounded off. Judy held her paws out in anticipation. A figure melodramatically leaped out of the ocean. Water flowing across his strong, muscular body, he looked a lot like one of her buff ZPD colleagues made stylish. Judy's eyes ran across the tall wolf's shoulders over to the fuzzy ears perking in the wind. _Is he even wearing... lipstick? He looks like that one male model if he didn't have the disgusting PseudoNick aura of green brainwashing around his face. The guy's name was Rio, right?_

Rio leaped into the air over a set of deck chairs, eyes locked on Judy's body. They both heard the band amping up their sound. Rio's bright red lips, curved in that cherry-ice cream smile that glittered across gossip magazines all over Zootopia, blew a kiss. Judy gulped.

"Darken the city," Rio sang, "night is a wire!" He jumped atop a massive table and braced his arms out in front of him. He wagged his tail, his eyes glowing with green light, as his tight silver short shorts gripped his thighs.

"Steam in the subway— earth is afire!" Despite everything, Judy forced herself to bolt out the words with conviction. _About damn time we get to the actual song!_

Rio cooed a bunch of "do-do-do" sounds, suddenly going down on all fours. Crawling forwards with his back arched, he opened up his mouth wide. The combination of his panting noises and sharp teeth disgusted the rabbit.

Judy hopped backwards, grabbing part of the beach hut behind her. She kicked the whole little building over and began to run. Hearing Rio coming over right behind her, she bounced over a chair to shove over yet another hut. The wolf chased the rabbit in a big half-circle. Judy narrowed her eyes as she tried to summon more strength.

They both crashed into the sand of the nearby beach. She heard a torrent of girly laughs. A set of dazed-looking raccoons cavorted around the beach in front of her.

"Woman, you want me, give me a sign," Judy sang, hopping in between a set of benches. _He probably should have had that line— fits that predatory troll better!_ She accidentally knocked off some white hats from fancy sunbathing vixens as she moved— not that they cared.

"And catch my breathing, even closer behind," Rio sang, leaping over a sandcastle right beside her.

_Actually, never mind!_ Judy kicked a hunk of sand into Rio's face. The wolf wiped himself off for a moment, growling angrily. Judy sped away. An arrow pointing to turn flashed upon the familiar screen. Judy jumped to the side into a bunch of bushes.

She twisted herself off of the greenery, standing up straight, and hurried herself up a gravel road. Slashing and clawing noises proved that the wolf followed close behind. She hurried herself even faster. The lyrical screen floated up above her, moving inch after inch like a kite. _Don't get too far, come on!_ It was her turn to coo off some "do-do-do" sounds, which she did with gusto.

Judy smacked a bunch of low-hanging branches in front of her. She shoved her footpaws out and nearly crashed into a bunch of short, old-looking brick buildings. _Damn!_ Judy ducked to the side, spying stacks upon stacks of chopped logs. _You wanna start platforming, troll? Bring it!_ She hopped upwards and slammed into the middle of a flimsy thatched roof. Glancing all around for a sign of the screen, the rabbit sucked in a little breath.

"In touch with the ground! I'm on a hunt— down after you!" Rio called out, jumping onto a trash can and leaping onto a nearby roof.

_No Goddamn kidding you are!_ The lyrical screen abruptly popped into the corner of the rabbit's eye. She tossed herself over and slid across the edge of the roof. The wolf followed right behind her. Judy sped along the next roof and glared at the various buildings up ahead. _Screen? Help, please!_

A command flashed to head down. Judy stamped her paws together in anger as she bounced down a pair of canopies above crate after crate of fruits. She had no idea where she was going. _I'm already sick of this, and we've barely sung! Where's my map? Where's the control to pause? Where's the completion bar showing how far I've gone? Come on!_

Judy found herself staring at a busy market street. _Oh, damn!_ Both fancy and not-so-fancy mammals all intermingled around a wide variety of pushcarts, bicycles, motorcycles, and all variety of other old-looking vehicles. _Screw playing his game like he wants me too— I need one of those!_

"Smell like I sound— lost in a crowd," Judy sang, holding her microphone close as she accidentally slammed into a bunch of vixens. _I can't mess with too many mammals or I'm out of time, right?_ She ran in between a fat hyena's legs and bounced to avoid a bear carrying dozens of boxes.

"And I'm hungry like the wolf!" Rio let out a deep howl after the line. Judy looked straight in front of her the muscular predator appearing behind a set of glass windows.

_The cheating douche is teleporting, isn't he? What's even the point!_ The rabbit's heart seemed to race out of control. A passing motorcycle appeared out of the corner of her eye. _Bingo!_ She jumped to the side. Judy popped up behind a skinny biker stoat, kicking him right off in a split-second, and watched as Rio hopped onto a huge table at the end of the street. The two players glared at each other.

"Straddle the line," Judy sang, revving the motorcycle and aiming right for the wolf. At the last moment, she swung herself over and sped over to the side. The wolf hopped from the umbrella onto the tall sign beside it. "In discord and rhyme!"

"I'm on the hunt!" Rio made into onto a nearby fire escape. "Down after you!"

"Mouth is alive! With juices like wine!" The screen swung down closer. Judy hit the gas even harder as she wailed down the street. She could still see Rio smashing his body through a set of laundry hung up to dry and bouncing onto another roof. The wolf followed close on Judy's tail, speeding atop a set of shacks. I've got to do something else!

"And I'm hungry like the wolf," Rio sang out, voice booming.

Judy came face to face with a cluster of trees— laid out almost like a solid wall. _Damn it!Stupid area limits!_ She hopped onto the top of a pushcart crammed with apples as the motorcycle sped on without her. It rammed against a clutch of branches and broke into flames in full cheesy fashion. _It's going to... of course._ It exploded in a massive fireball as Judy jumped off of the pushcart onto a short roof.

She spotted an immense pipe under her, looking like something made out of thatched greenery. _That's something!_ Despite the screen's command to head out the other way, the bunny immediately slid down a clump of firewood and kicked the pipe's cover to the side. She threw her body down in it. She slid the cover back from the inside.

The bunny took a deep breath as she shimmied downwards and found herself in a large tank. _Hidden but not too tight— thank goodness!_ She splashed around for a second in what looked like pure, clean water moving to a light in the far distance. She knocked her paws against the wall and sped down the pipeline

{Prepare For Vocal Solo}

{First Part}

The screen appeared out of nowhere right above her head. She cleared her voice, ready to belt out more lines. _Okay, so I'm now still headed the right way apparently, whatever it takes to finally finish this thing!_ "Stalked in the forest," she sang, "too close to hide." She came upon a dead end next to a set of old, gray metal poles. "I'll be upon you, by the moonlight side."

Judy punched the layer of leaning poles, knocking them all forwards, and popped out of the pipeline. She found herself in the middle of a broken down shack with a massive hole in the wall. Rusty metal gears and broken pieces of wood laid about everywhere. 

The bunny duly cooed a bunch of "do-do-do" sounds as she spotted an open window above a dresser. She hopped right over. A huge patch of moss lead down a tall hill with trees, bushes, and all other kinds of jungle greenery scattered about. Judy jumped through. To her delight, the rabbit skidded along the moss like a surfer riding a wave.

{Prepare For Vocal Solo}

{Second Part}

_Don't pop up like that, I can't see! For crying out—_ Judy smacked against a huge rock. The rabbit tossed around the grass like a rag-doll. Finding herself sitting below a set of huge, low-drooping trees, she glanced in all directions. She stood back upwards, holding the microphone high over her head.

"High blood— drumming on your skin! It's so tight!" Judy's eyes flung all across the jungle while she hopped over some old tree trunks towards a river. "You feel my heat! I'm just a moment behind!" The screen commanded her to head in this direction, so she sped downstream right alongside the river. The rabbit managed not to trip on any of the vines, stones, or big branches laying all about. A bunch more "do-do-do" sounds came out of her mouth.

_I can't stand much more of this. Where is the troll? And is there a point speeding around a level where I don't even have a map?_ Judy slowed down, listing to the water rushing besides her.

Yet a loud smash caused her to leap to the side onto an immense rock. A tree trunk slammed into the river right in front of her. She felt her heart starting to race as Rio leaped over from another tree onto the toppled trunk. Locked right at Judy, the wolf's face morphed itself. She stared at something that was all teeth— grinning deviously.

"In touch with the ground," Rio sang, slinking closer, "I'm on the hunt— down after you!"

Judy turned tail and ran as fast as she could. The wolf bounced around behind her. Rio's moaning noises, somehow enhanced to make them extra creepy, brought a empty, dark pit into Judy's stomach.

"A scent and a sound." Rio chased the rabbit over to a waterfall, "I'm lost, and I'm found. And I'm hungry like the wolf." He abruptly hopped to the side. Judy came upon a solid wall of water, seemingly trapping her. "Strut on a line. It's discord and rhyme. I howl and I whine. I'm after you." Rio wagged his tail and licked his lips as Judy spent a moment dashing from side to side.

"Come on," whimpered the rabbit. She braced with her paws held up in front of her.

Rio slowly stepped closer, timing his moves to the sounds of the water raining down behind Judy. "Mouth is alive— all running inside. And I'm hungry like the wolf."

"No!" Judy threw herself over into the waterfall. She suddenly spotted an empty cave behind it, just narrow enough for her to fit. In a split-second, she scampered on her back into it.

The wolf smashed his head against the solid rock. Missing the rabbit completely, water pouring all upon him, Rio staggered backwards. Redness covered his fur as he cried out a low, deep whine. Judy smiled.

She looked around, hunting for another way out. She tripped on a set of pebbles, back thrust against the ground. _Please!_ Judy spotted a bright light coming from a hole in the ceiling. She held her paws against the wall. Despite first glance, the wall seemed to be a low enough angle for her to climb.

Judy scurried up the wall. The song went into a long instrumental improvisation all around her in the cave. She bumped her head against something hard and flat. She felt around; it was a loose wooden plank with light pouring through a few little spots. Yet before she even think, Judy suddenly found getting lifted by strong claws placed around her body.

"Ugh!" Judy squealed, kicking helplessly. She appeared in a crate with a bunch of scurrying crabs; the little sea creatures jumped up around her back and dug their claws onto her paws. She shoved her paws out as she heard a latch clanking right on top of her. Seriously? Now, this? She felt around the tight bars. 

With various models strutting around once more, Judy was trapped back on another upper class boat— lodged in a small storeroom crammed full of cans, jars, and all kinds of food. _I'm on nobody's Goddamn menu, even as a joke!_ Judy did a double-take as she looked down at where she had climbed up. That hole had transmogrified into a mouse-sized gap in the floor. _Of course, the troll's still screwing with things! Normal time and space doesn't mean that much in this game, does it?_

Judy heard a low electronic hum, and she looked out to see the same screen that had followed her around flashing back into place. She jiggled the bars while gritting her teeth. _The damn song should be over soon!_

{You: Hungry like the wolf}

{Partner: Hungry like the wolf}

{You: Hungry like the wolf}

"Hungry like the wolf," Judy sang, seeing her familiar microphone pop into existence from in between her ears. She kicked and kicked against the walls of the crate to no avail. _I have to get out of here if I'm going to finish the stupid level! Think!_ The wolf did his own line, the vocals coming from somewhere way off in the distance, as Judy sang on.

Judy stared at her microphone for a moment. _I need to be more clever with this._ As a bubby electronic solo began, she stuck her face against the bars and glared at the outside latch. She immediately saw a red aura coming over it as well as the microphone. _Yes! I'll bonk this cage open!_ She panted, trying to concentrate. Meanwhile, those horribly obnoxious models cavorted around the deck of the ship, tossing big beach balls to each other while they poured and drank champagne.

One hard swing upon the cage's latch finally swung it open. "Yeah!" Judy punched upwards and leaped out. As if on cue, Rio burst out of the water beside the boat— the wolf's paws curling around the railings. A hop and a skip brought Judy onto a counter-top; she spotted a rope drooping down out of a massive open window.

"Burning the ground! I break from the crowd!" Rio put a lot of emotion into every last word. "I'm on the hunt! I'm after you!"

Judy jumped out the window before scurrying up the rope. She suddenly slipped a little— being thrown onto a cold, hard roof. She braced herself against a set of antenna. "Smell like I sound," she sang, speeding over to another rope. This one flung over the water, Judy holding on tight. "I'm lost, and I'm found!" _I need to out-think this douche once again! Aren't I close?_

The timer in the distant sky showed that she was. Judy hurled through the air over to a large slab of metal covered in flags— right by the crow's nest. _I got this!_ She gasped as she let go. She clutched the edge of the little platform and scurried upward, kicking over a bucket onto the deck and pissing off some of the fashionistas.

"And I'm hungry like the wolf!" Judy glared downward as she picked up a life preserver, ready to aim it at someone's head.

"Strut on a line— it's discord and rhyme." The wolf climbed up a ladder, heading right for the rabbit. "I'm on the hunt— I'm after you."

_This damn track is so long that it feels like an eternity!_ Judy put down the life preserver and slid her body over a bit. _Wait, there it is!_ Her eyes grew wide as she saw the next boat on the other side of the pier covered in two red and green circles of light. _I just have to get over there, right?_

Rio made it right below the crow's nest— the ladder leading to a closed trap door in the floor of the platform. _He's less interested in actually winning the level compared to just screwing with me even more. That's— really— that's something I should use._ She heard the wolf unlatching the hinges of the door. The microphone's red aura glowed as it floated over beside Judy's head.

Rio got the trap door open and shoved his head upwards. Judy clung to the railing as the wolf licked his lips, the predator's eyes looking so monstrous. He shot up an arm, grunting loudly, and thrust out his paw in all directions. A fierce look came over Judy's face. The microphone flung through the air, smacking over over the trap door, and into Judy's paws.

The wolf yelped in pain. Part of Rio's arm caught in place, Judy pounced on Rio's paw. She bit down as hard as she could. Buckteeth sinking into fur, the wolf screamed out even louder than before.

_Not a mere 'cutie' now, right troll?_ Judy spun to the side and slipped herself into the life preserver. As the music built up, the rabbit concentrated. She jumped right out of the crow's nest, using her paws to slide neatly down the edge of the boat's biggest sail. Judy witnessed Rio clinging to the ladder, pathetically kissing his wounded paw.

The rabbit stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry as she calmly splashed down. She pedaled straight for the light-encircled boat. As her paws clutched the yahtcht's metal ladder, she spotted the familiar screen floating up above her.

"And I'm hungry like the wolf!" Judy triumphantly sang.

A gigantic eruption of cheers and applause surrounded her all of a sudden. The boat, the life preserver, the water, and everything else turned into grey mist as well. Oh, hell yes! Tickling sparkles ran across her body as enormous fireworks went off. She kicked against the ground and stood up proudly.

Alone in the middle of the game stage, Judy took in the scene, and she threw her head back. "Sweet _victory_!" She pumped a paw into the air. Legions upon legions of creatures in the audience did the same. She then saw that one screen coming down from the middle of the sky over into the air right in front of her.

{Song Complete!}

{Congratulations!}

{Vocal Ability: C+}

"Hey, I like," Judy began, holding up a paw, "I do actually practice sometimes in the shower and stuff."

{Outfit Appeal: C}

"Piss off!" Judy shoved her paws down and scraped them against her frilly skirt. " _He_ picked this Goddamn get-up, not _me_!"

{Stage Presence: C-}

_I can't believe this._ Judy glanced around, enjoying the acclaim from off the stage as much as she felt irritated. _I'm not going to lose even if I actually went through the level first, am I?_ PseudoNick appeared nowhere in sight.

{Energy: A+}

"That's more like it!"

{Overall: B-}

"Well, good enough!" She moved over to the edge of the stage, staring out and hunting for Nick's location. "I wonder how well that douche managed—"

{Player Two's Results}

{Vocal Ability: D+}

{Outfit Appeal: D+}

{Stage Presence: D+}

{Energy: D+}

{Overall: D+}

"And, as the saying goes, you screw with the game parameters," Judy said, smiling brightly, "sometimes they screw you back."

{You're just about ready for the encore!}

{You now have the ability to pick a friend from the audience to help you sing!}

{Are you ready?}

"Nicholas Wilde!" Judy screamed. She realized that she had never called out in such a loud voice in all her life. "I choose you!" The crowd had gotten really pumped. Mammals thrust their bodies into the air, with paws, hooves, and more jolting upwards as they shouted. They had to have an encore. They didn't just demand it. They needed it. "I mean— yes! Yes, I'm ready!"

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks very much for reading!
> 
> This, along with "Dawn But Not Out", is related to the 4chan-based "Thematic Thursdays" events held by some fans of the Zootopia universe. It's a strongly revised version of something that I did before in another context with another fandom, but I think it works well here. I'm not sure what exactly to do with this concept, but I love it quite a bit.


End file.
